The AP-7 motorway southbound, between Martorell and Sant Sadurní, has reopened completely open to traffic The line reopened at 3:00 AM this morning, according to the director of the Catalan Traffic Service, Ramon Lamiel. It reopened after being closed to traffic for three weeks. The line was closed in this section on January 21st, the day after the fatal commuter train accident in Gelida that killed a young trainee driver. upon colliding with a retaining wall under the AP-7

The gradual reopening of the AP-7 motorway has been reversed after the Gelida train accident forced its complete closure for safety reasons. Last Saturday, the Catalan government announced the reopening of the left southbound lane near Martorell. However, this Wednesday, the director of the Catalan Traffic Service, Ramon Lamiel, announced its closure again to ensure track repairs can be carried out. Therefore, the AP-7 is once again completely closed southbound near Martorell. Sources from the Ministry of Transport explained to ARA that the lane is expected to reopen within five days, while the full reopening of the road is anticipated within two weeks, starting February 10th, according to the same sources. Up until now, the work of the crews on the AP-7 had consisted of scraping the embankment that collapsed due to the accident in order to find stable ground. This afternoon they discovered that part of the right-hand lane of the highway also needed to be cleared, which forced them to move the equipment (heavy vehicles and cranes) that had been working in the center of the road to the left-hand lane, which was the only one open. However, Lamiel maintained that the closure was not intended to compromise highway safety: "The ministry has a whole system of sensors to detect any movement, and there hasn't been any. When we reopened on Saturday, they installed them as a precaution in case any abnormal movement was detected."

Less than two hours after the Catalan government reopened one of the southbound lanes of the AP-7 motorway in Martorell—the leftmost lane—an accident forced its closure again to facilitate the work of emergency services. This section was scheduled to reopen to traffic around 2:00 PM, once the holiday exodus had concluded. By mid-afternoon, after emergency personnel had attended to the accident, the lane had been reopened. The authorization to reopen this lane of the motorway came after technicians from the Ministry of Transport, who were assessing the slope that collapsed and caused a fatal train accident on the R4 line, confirmed that opening it was "perfectly safe," as the landslide was not expected to collapse. In fact, the accident had nothing to do with the infrastructure, although the closure of one lane posed a risk to traffic flow. The other two lanes, the right-hand ones, will remain closed, and their reopening is a matter of "days," according to Ramon Lamiel, Director General of the Catalan Traffic Service, who spoke on Friday. For the time being, drivers are asked to continue using alternative routes to avoid a "bottleneck effect." The Ministry of Transport indicated that the reopening was carried out at the request of the Catalan government (Generalitat), following a meeting with the Minister of Territory, Silvia Paneque. The closure was implemented Wednesday afternoon near Martorell, southbound, at the request of the Ministry of Transport due to track instability after the collapse of a retaining wall caused the Gelida train accident, which left one dead and 37 injured. On Friday, workers began installing barriers to separate one lane, the one closest to the northbound lanes and farthest from the train tracks. In statements to the media, Lamiel explained that they decided to set the opening time at 2 p.m. because this would allow the peak of the weekend getaway to pass. The Director General of Traffic also explained that since the AP-7 was closed, the C-32 has seen a doubling of its average daily traffic, as the Catalan government has lifted the toll at least until Wednesday. Specifically, traffic has increased from 60,000 to 120,000 vehicles. Therefore, he emphasized that the alternative routes currently being offered (including the N-340 and the A-2) are "good and recommended" for distributing traffic and avoiding "very long queues." Return of hazardous goods

The decision to reopen the section of the AP-7 motorway was made after the Catalan Traffic Service (Trànsit) met with technicians from the Ministry of Transport on Friday. According to Lamiel, the meeting confirmed that the left lane of the motorway was "preserved" from the landslide and that there were guarantees it could be reopened safely. "The left lane is especially safe after the explanations we received and after reviewing all the images," he explained. The images clearly showed that the slope that collapsed was not under the motorway. The reopening of one lane of the AP-7 southbound in Martorell will also allow the transport of hazardous materials to return to the motorway. Lamiel explained that these types of trucks must travel on roads without tunnels and outside of populated areas. "The AP-7 offers better service and, therefore, provides us with peace of mind regarding road safety," he concluded. During the opening, Mossos d'Esquadra officers and ministry technicians will be present in case there are "any details" that need adjusting.

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The closure of the AP-7 motorway caused by the Gelida train accident could last for days, according to the Catalan Traffic Service (Servei Català de Trànsit). This incident not only affects the mobility of people but also has a major impact on the transport and logistics sector, not only in Catalonia but throughout Spain. The AP-7 is the main route for freight traffic from Europe to the Iberian Peninsula and from Spain—and even much of the Maghreb—to Europe. In fact, this route is part of a corridor designated as a priority by the European Union. Furthermore, Catalonia accounts for more than 25% of Spanish exports, a large portion of which leave via this motorway. The motorway is owned by the Spanish state and, until 2021, was operated under a concession agreement with the company Abertis. With the expiration of the concession, tolls were removed, and the motorway was placed under direct state management. The removal of tolls coincided with the economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, and traffic on this road skyrocketed. According to the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, this road is "at the limit" of its operational capacity. In fact, just six months ago, the institution, headed by Josep Santacreu, was requesting an investment of over €1 billion from the government to improve its capacity and functionality. The Chamber's study highlighted that in 2019, before the pandemic, approximately 77,000 vehicles passed daily on the Papiol section in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. By 2024, after the health crisis had subsided and tolls were eliminated, traffic on this section had reached 107,700 vehicles per day. In other words, in five years, the volume had increased by 23,100 light vehicles and approximately 7,600 heavy vehicles. With this volume of traffic, it's no wonder that haulers are urging authorities to reopen the closed section of the road as soon as possible. The sector emphasizes that safety "is a priority," but asks that any necessary work be carried out "as soon as possible." The president of the Catalan Confederation of Road Transport Businesses (CETCAT), Eduard Ayach, told ACN that the alternative routes to the highway are "insufficient," and therefore he is calling for "the necessary investments" to be made to ensure there are no disruptions when incidents occur on the AP-7. CETCAT has not yet calculated the economic losses, but they indicate that disruptions "will certainly occur" and will affect businesses. "We're talking about the fact that the economic sectors have been demanding a greater expansion of the AP-7, a fourth ring road, and alternative routes for many years. We believe that mobility and infrastructure are insufficient," Ayach lamented.

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The AP-7 motorway is the backbone of the country. The other roads are limbs of a structured body. The AP-7 was designed with sufficient quality (compare it to the A-2 in Lleida) and has been a toll road for 50 years, extended by the addition of a third lane (and, consequently, by extension on the C-32). The only ministerial magnanimity was the addition of a fourth lane on the Vallès section and the removal of the Bellaterra toll, by which time more cars were already using the side lanes than the main carriageway. Today, the AP-7 serves as a major connector between the entire Iberian Peninsula, Europe, and Morocco. Heavy goods vehicles account for more than a quarter of the total traffic. Every day, the AP-7 carries up to 13,000 trucks through La Jonquera, and more than 25,000 travel along the central section in Vallès.

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Tracking the flow of funds between the central government and the Catalan government is no easy task. This is especially true when these agreements have been in the works for years or even decades, as is the case with funds earmarked for infrastructure improvements. In 2023 – coinciding with the agreements for Pedro Sánchez's investiture – the Catalan government secured two key agreements in this regard: a grant of 914 million euros outstanding to make improvements to the roads and the B-40 or Northern Round pactwhich amounted to an additional 200 million euros. The Catalan government had been working for some time on a model similar to the Basque one to secure that money. the assignments or management ordersAnd this Monday, it was explained how that money is being invested and the current status of the projects. The Secretary of Mobility and Infrastructure of the Generalitat, Manel Nadal, detailed that the department will close the year with five management agreements underway. This means that, although the project belongs to and is paid for by the Spanish government, the Generalitat leads the drafting of the projects and the execution of the work; that is, it controls the timeline and also the dialogue with the local community, "from a local perspective." "The ministry pays as we complete the work. This allows us, firstly, to accelerate the works; secondly, to guarantee that the money reaches Catalonia and prevent the projects from being abandoned and the money from ending up in the ministry's surplus; and thirdly, to do it with close collaboration and dialogue with the local community, which is the hallmark of this institution," Nadal argued. "We already have a successful experience with the B-23 bus lane in Barcelona, ​​and now it's being replicated," he recalled. This approach has allowed the Generalitat (Catalan government) to "secure the funding" and "double" its execution capacity by Christmas. In total, the five projects mobilize €1.13 billion until 2033. This money was already planned and announced and comes from the agreement to transfer the remaining €914 million for infrastructure and the €200 million that the B-40 or Ronda Nord roadworks in Sabadell and Terrassa will entail. These are the five major projects underway, their budgets, and the improvements they include: Eix Pirinenc (N-260): €260 million

The agreement was signed last November. On this road, which runs through the Pyrenees from Pont de Suert to Puigcerdà, works will be carried out to improve accessibility, the road surface, and road safety. One of the highlights will be the new Perves bypass, an area currently served by a very narrow road that needs a complete overhaul. The government will build a new road with tunnels to facilitate passage through this challenging area. Improvements are also being planned for Senterada, Sort, and other smaller changes that will enhance its functionality.

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Amidst the ongoing debate about the current state of the AP-7The haulage companies have spoken out and defended themselves against the opinions that place trucks at the center of the problem. Specifically, the haulage associations demanded this Monday to be able to use the N-340 again to reduce traffic volume on the Ebro section of the AP-7. The Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations of Road Transport (Conetrans) and the Tarragona Business Federation of Motor Transport (Feat) stated they are "fed up" with being singled out as responsible for the accident rate and asserted that the problem is insufficient infrastructure. Therefore, they have requested the construction of a third lane on the motorway and the widening of the N-340, as well as the extension of the A-7, which currently ends in Vandellòs and Hospitalet de l'Infant. They also expressed skepticism about the plan recently announced by Trànsit per reduce speed to 80 km/h.

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Speed limits will be reduced, and there will be more speed cameras to ensure that drivers, especially truck drivers, are actually respecting the speed limit. These are two of the main measures announced this Thursday by the Catalan Interior Ministry to address the increase in fatal accidents on the AP-7, Catalonia's busiest motorway. The data for this artery of the country's circulation is not good.This year, up to 15 people have lost their lives, more than double the number from last year. "The goal is to improve road safety to reduce fatalities and serious injuries," stated the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, at a press conference this Thursday morning, where she also announced enhanced training for non-EU truck drivers. As reported by ARA this past weekend, the Interior Ministry is focusing on trucks, and these measures will be accompanied by increased monitoring of heavy vehicles. In fact, starting next month, trucks will be limited to 80 km/h on the AP-7 highway section between Calafat (Baix Ebre) and Amposta (Montsià), precisely the area where two serious truck accidents—one fatal—occurred 10 days ago, causing hours of traffic jams. Similarly, passenger cars will have to reduce their speed to 100 km/h. These restrictions will only apply to southbound traffic and are expected to come into effect next month. The Ministry of Transport, which owns the road, is already working on the new signage. This strategy will initially be in place for six months. The director of the Catalan Traffic Service (SCT), Ramon Lamiel, pointed out that at this point on the Ebro River, some accidents have been linked to vehicles leaving the road, which is why they have opted to reduce the speed limit. Trucks are not allowed to proceed along this stretch, and it was found that 2% of them violate this prohibition. The speed limit will be accompanied by increased radar enforcement to ensure compliance.

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Driving at around 110 kilometers per hour on the AP-7, near L'Ampolla (Baix Ebre), you have to suddenly reduce your speed because a truck signals to overtake two other vehicles. The braking to avoid hitting its license plate isn't abrupt, but it is forceful. And the wait is long. You have to slow down to about 90 km/h, the speed at which the trucker is trying to overtake two more trucks that aren't much slower than him. Suddenly, the first truck signals and asks to merge into the left lane as well, forcing the car to brake. But not for long, because behind the second truck, another one is also moving in the left lane. The reason: road maintenance work has left only one lane open. It's the so-called "truck sandwich," very common on the AP-7. Nothing extraordinary for regular drivers, but a stark reminder of the reality on Catalonia's main highway.

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There are increasingly more trucks on the AP-7 motorway, but the question is what kind of trucks they are and who is driving them. Sources within the Catalan government, consulted by ARA, indicate that in recent accidents on Catalonia's main motorway, as well as on other roads in the country, a pattern sometimes emerges that worries them: the driver at fault is a foreigner unfamiliar with local traffic and signage. Often, these accidents don't result in injuries, but they disrupt traffic and can cause delays. In the last five or six years, there have been almost 4,000 accidents on the AP-7 involving a truck, and 36% of these drivers were foreign nationals. However, these same sources have recently highlighted a trend: there is a growing presence of drivers from outside the European Union who obtained their licenses in Spain through a license exchange program. Since 2019, the number of drivers from North Africa involved in accidents has doubled (from 31 to 65). The number of drivers coming from South America has increased from 42 to 77, and those from North America from 4 to 15. This effect has been particularly noticeable since last year. The same sources warn that these are not necessarily more reckless drivers, but rather drivers who are not as accustomed to driving within the European Union. Josep Lluís Ayma, director of the Tarragona Provincial Federation of Motor Transport Companies (FEAT), agrees, stating that they have a different driving style and "sometimes cause problems." The root cause lies in license exchanges. If someone from outside the European Union wants to drive a truck in Spain and already has a license to do so in their country of origin, they must request an exchange from the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic), which has agreements with various countries. First, it's necessary to obtain a professional certificate, which is achieved after 35 hours of training for experienced drivers—those who have held a license since 2009—and 180 hours for younger drivers.

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The AP-7 motorway experienced another chaotic day of queues and traffic jams this Tuesday. The weekend was already particularly difficult, with a tanker truck overturning and causing road closures near Baix Ebre. This Tuesday, the epicenter was also in the same southern region, and it was again a truck that, for reasons under investigation, crossed the median of the motorway, colliding head-on with another heavy vehicle traveling in the opposite direction and also affecting a third truck that tried to avoid them. The driver of the first truck died in the accident. The accident caused closures in both directions that lasted for hours, with traffic jams exceeding ten kilometers. Around midday, one lane in each direction was reopened, improving traffic flow.

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It was Easter Sunday, one of the busiest days of the year, around 7 a.m. Suddenly, a car traveling at high speed, over 200 kilometers per hour, hit a group of vehicles from behind that were stopped on the AP-7, near Vilablareix (Gironès). One man died in the accident and seven people were injured, including the suicide driver and his passenger. The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) had previously detected this vehicle, which was almost double the speed limit, and decided to implement a technique known as "dynamic saturation," according to police sources. This involves slowing down traffic on the motorway to force the reckless driver to exit and stop it. Sources consulted by ARA indicate that it is frequently used and is also used in other countries.

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The AP-7 will be the busiest highway during Easter. This is the forecast of the Catalan Traffic Service (SCT), which announced on Wednesday morning that it will open two additional lanes starting tomorrow, coinciding with the holiday's outbound journey. They will also be opened for the return journey. In addition to the extra lanes, Trànsit will also restrict heavy vehicle traffic to make the motorway smoother and less dangerous. In total, more than one million journeys are expected: 560,000 outbound journeys from the Barcelona metropolitan area (66% on Thursday and 33% on Friday) and a return journey of 580,000 vehicles.

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Ramon Lamiel, director of the Catalan Traffic Service, attends to the ARA after a few complicated days. A tragic Carnival weekend, with eight deaths on the roads, was followed by long delays on the AP-7, many of them involving trucks..

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Every day on the AP-7 there are, on average, two accidents with victims. There are 700 accidents – the vast majority (654) of a minor nature – which can quickly cause hours and hours of traffic jams. In fact, drivers lost 3,700 hours in traffic jams and queues in 2019 on this Catalan motorway, before the release of tolls in 2021. Now, the hours of traffic jams have almost doubled and the 700 accidents recorded last year represent the highest figure in the world. In order to try to stop the increase in accidents on this road, the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, explained this Wednesday that variable speed will be implemented on a stretch of about 150 kilometres that will go from Maçanet de la Selva to El Vendrell.

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An accident involving two lorries and a car has forced the AP-7 to be closed at Sant Cugat del Vallès, heading south towards Tarragona. The traffic jams have reached 12 km between Santa Perpètua de Mogoda and Sant Cugat, according to the Catalan Traffic Service. Detours have been made towards the B-30 at Cerdanyola del Vallès, but this road also has a 4 km long queue between Barberà del Vallès and Cerdanyola del Vallès heading south.

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Since tolls were removed on the AP-7, 40% more vehicles use this motorway. According Catalan Home Affairs minister Joan Ignasi Elena, the AP-7 "has a saturation problem" that is not exclusive to weekends because the number of hours and kilometres of queues is "practically the same" every day. For this reason, the Government has announced new measures after the latest traffic jams, the Government has announced new measures: additional lanes on the motorway, more tow trucks to remove vehicles which have suffered an accident and restricting lorry traffic. Elena has warned that in some sections the AP-7 has more vehicles than the road can absorb and has asked the State to make "the promised investments", in addition to reversing the "decades of neglect of commuter trains".

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The lifting of tolls has a direct effect on traffic, according to data from motorways where the tolls have been removed after decades. On January 1, 2020, several toll sections were lifted and during the first year of toll-free use, car traffic has increased by up to 40% despite the pandemic, according to data from the Ministry of Transport obtained by ARA.

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August 31 will be the last day that tolls will be paid on the AP-7 between Salou and La Jonquera; on the AP-2, the motorway that links the AP-7 with Zaragoza via Lleida; on the northern stretch of the C-32 between Montgat and Palafolls; and pm the C-33, between Barcelona and Montmeló. What seems to be good news for users is not good news for workers. As ARA has learnt, the lifting of tolls will entail a labour force adjustment plan (ERE) in Abertis, whose concession will end. It will affect 408 workers, most of whom work collecting tolls

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